Hepatic differentiation and maturation of human embryonic stem cells cultured in a perfused three-dimensional bioreactor.

ABSTRACT: Drug-induced liver injury is a serious and frequently occurring adverse drug reaction in the clinics and is hard to predict during preclinical studies. Today, primary hepatocytes are the most frequently used cell model for drug discovery and prediction of toxicity. However, their use is marred by high donor variability regarding drug metabolism and toxicity, and instable expression levels of liver-specific genes such as cytochromes P450. An in vitro model system based on human embryonic stem cells (hESC), with their unique properties of pluripotency and self-renewal, has potential to provide a stable and unlimited supply of human hepatocytes. Much effort has been made to direct hESC toward the hepatic lineage, mostly using 2-dimensional (2D) cultures. Although the results are encouraging,

SUBMITTER: Sivertsson L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3564470 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature